
Qass E G 64- 

Book-S 56<5V^S 



■*»■■, 



65th Congrbss 1 
jrf Session J 



HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 



{ 



Document 
No. 187S 



JOHN A. STERLING 

(Late a Representative from Illinois) 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 






DELIVERED IN THE 

HOUSE OF representatives' 

OF THE UNITED STATES 

SIXTY-FIFTH CONGRESS 



Proceedings in the House 
January 19, 1919 



Proceedings in the Senate 
October 21, 1918 



PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 
THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 




ZO"-^ u^. i-^ 



WASHINGTON 

1919 



.S235'lLS 








117 



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TABLE OF CONTENTS 



/ Page. 

Proceedings in the House 5 

Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D 6, 8 

^Memorial addresses by — 

'' Mr. George Edmund Foss, of Illinois 11 

Mr. Joseph W. Fordney, of Michigan 15 

Mr. Henry T. Rainey, of Illinois 19 

Mr. William E. Mason, of Illinois 21 

Mr. Isaac R. Sherwood, of Ohio 25 

Mr. Loren E. Wheeler, of Illinois 28 

Mr. Martin B. Madden, of Illinois 29 

Mr. William J. Graham, of Illinois J 32 

Mr. Richard Wayne Parker, of New Jersey 34 

Mr. Joseph G. Cannon, of Illinois 36 

Proceedings in the Senate 43 



[3] 




HON.JOHNA. STEH.LI NG 



DEATH OF HON. JOHN A.STERLING 



Proceedings in the House of Representatives 

Thursday, October 17, WIS. 

Mr. Cannon. Mi*. Speaker, it is with profound regret 
that I rise to announce the death, at Pontiac, 111., to-day, 
in an automobile accident, of our colleague, Hon. John 
A. Sterling, of Illinois. 

At some future time I will ask the House to pause in 
its ordinary business, in order to pay appropriate tribute 
to the life, character, and public services of our distin- 
guished friend. I offer the following resolution. 

The Speaker. The Clerk will report the resolution. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
the death of Hon. John A. Sterling, a Representative from the 
State of Illinois. 

Resolved, That a committee of 20 Members of the House, witli 
such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to 
attend the funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized 
and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying 
out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary 
expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent 
fund of the House. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

The resolution was agreed to. 

The Speaker. The Chair will announce the committee 
in the morning. 

Mr. Cannon. Mr. Speaker, I offer the following reso- 
lution. 



[5] 



Memorial Addresses: Representativ-e Sterling 

The Clerk read us follows: 

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect this House do now 
adjourn. 

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 5 o'clock 
and 11 minutes p. m.) the House adjourned until to- 
morrow, Friday, October 18, 1918, at 12 o'clock noon. 

Friday, October 18, 1918. 
The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Coudcn, D. D., offered the 
following prayer: 

Lord God, our heavenly Father, whose ways are past 
finding out, we come to Thee with bowed heads and sor- 
rowing hearts because of the widespread desolation 
throughout the land. Thousands are passing to the un- 
seen, leaving homes and hearts desolate. 

Again, we as a body have been touched with sorrow 
and grief because of the death of another Member of this 
House — a real Representative of the people, a patriot, a 
statesman, wise in his counsels, a strong advocate of what 
he believed to be right. 

He is gone. We mourn his going, and by the blessed 
angel of faith help us, his widow, and all who knew and 
loved him to look forward to the life eternal, for there is 
no death. 

I long for household voices gone, 

For vanished smiles I long, 
But God hath led ray dear ones on, 

And He can do no wrong. 

I know not what the future hath 

Of marvel or surprise, 
Assured alone that life and death 

His mercy underlies. 

Amen. 



[6] 



Proceedings in the House 



The Speaker announced the following committee to 
attend the funeral of the late Representative Sterling 
of Illinois : 

Mr. Mann, Mr. Cannon, Mr. Henry T. Rainey, Mr. Fos- 
ter, Mr. McCormick, Mr. Mason, Mr. Wilson of Illinois, 
Mr. Sabath, Mr. McAndrews, Mr. Juul, Mr. Gallagher, Mr. 
Britten, Mr. Foss, Mr. Copley, Mr. Fuller of Illinois, Mr. 
McKenzie, Mr. King, Mr. Ireland, Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Roden- 
berg, Mr. Williams, Mr. Denison, Mr. John W. Rainey, 
Mr. Green of Iowa, Mr. Oldfield, Mr. Dallinger, Mr. Camp- 
bell of Kansas, and Mr. Raker. 

Thursday, October 24, 1918. 
A message from the Senate, by Mr. Waldorf, its enroll- 
ing clerk, announced that the Senate had passed the 
following resolution (S. Res. 322) : 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the 
announcement of the death of Hon. John A. Sterling, late a 
Representative from the State of Illinois. 

Resolved, That a committee of six Senators be appointed by 
the Presiding Otlicer to join the committee appointed on the part 
of the House of Representatives to attend the funeral of the 
deceased. 

Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these 
resolutions to the House of Representatives. 

Tuesday, December 10, 1918. 

Mr. Cannon. Mr. Speaker, I present a request for unani- 
mous consent, which I send to the desk and ask to have 
read. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

Mr. Cannon asks unanimous consent that Sunday, January 19, 
1919, be set apart for addresses on the life, character, and public 
serv'ices of the Hon. John A. Sterling, late a Representative from 
Illinois. 

The Speaker. Without objection, it will be so ordered. 
There was no objection. 

[7] 



Memorial Addresses: Representati\-e Sterlinc; 

Tuesday, January H, 1919. 
The Speaker. The Chair assigns the gentleman from Illi- 
nois [Mr. Cannon] to preside next Sunday. 

Sunday, January 19, 1919. 

The House met at 12 o'clock noon and was called to 
order by the Speaker pro tempore [Mr. Cannon]. 

The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the 
following prayer: 

Father in Heaven, we thank Thee that the deeds of man 
are automatically recorded in the tissues of liis soul, that 
the final result is the character which he builds for him- 
self. 

Some men work to live, others live to work. The for- 
mer are eye servants. The latter are heroes and work 
for the betterment of mankind, in the community, the 
State, the Nation, the world. Such men are admired, re- 
spected, and loved by all with whom they come in contact. 

We are here to-day in memorj' of two who have placed 
themselves on the roll of honor, to record on ne pages of 
history their life, character, and public service; that they 
may live as beacon lights to guide us and future genera- 
tions, to emulate their virtues, so that when we pass from 
this life men will rise up and call us blessed. 

They are gone. Their works live. We mourn their 
going, but look forward with bright anticipations to the 
life eternal. Let this comfort us and their dear ones until 
Thou shall call us to join them in the realms of the larger 
life where peace and happiness shall reign supreme; and 
everlasting praise be Thine, through the world's Great 
Exemplar. Amen. 

Mr. Foss. Mr. Speaker, I offer the following resolu- 
tions, which I send to the Clerk's desk. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from Illinois 
offers the following resolutions, which the Clerk will 
report. 

[8] 



Proceedings in the House 



The Clerk read as follows : 

Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended, 
that opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. 
John A. Sterling, late a Member of this House from the State of 
Illinois. 

Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory 
of the deceased, and in recognition of his distinguished public 
career, the House, at the conclusion of the exercises of this day, 
shall stand adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to 
the family of the deceased. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The question is on agreeing 
to the resolutions. 

The question was taken and the resolutions were unani- 
mously agreed to. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The Clerk will report the 
special order for to-day. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

On motion of Mr. Cannon, by unanimous consent. 
Ordered, That Sunday, January 19, 1919, be set apart for ad- 
dresses upon the life, character, and public services of Hon. 
John A. Sterling, late a Representative from the State of Illinois. 

On motion of Mr. Burroughs, by unanimous consent. 
Ordered, That Sunday, January 19, 1919, be set apart for ad- 
dresses upon the life, character, and public services of Hon. 
Jacob H. Gallinger, late a Senator from the State of New Hamp- 
shire. 



[9] 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



Address of Mr. Foss, of Illinois 

Mr. Speaker: On October 17 last my colleague, John A. 
Sterling, Representative from the seventeenth congres- 
sional district of Illinois, suddenly departed this life as 
the result of an automobile accident, while on a visit to 
his home and district, and we, his friends, are gathered 
here on this occasion to testify to his worth and character. 

Congressman Sterling lived only a few moments after 
the accident occurred, but during that time showed his 
unselfishness and consideration of others in insisting that 
his rescuers should go to the aid of those who were with 
him in the accident and who were not injured as much as 
himself. While one of them was trying to assist him he 
said, " Never mind me. Look after the others." And this 
thoughtful expression on his part recalls to my mind the 
last words of the late President McKinley, who in his dying 
hour was so solicitous of those around him. 

John Allan Sterling had an eventful career and left a 
name which will long be remembered, not only by those 
whom he especially served as Congressman, but also by 
his State and country at large. He was born on a farm 
in Leroy, McLean County, 111. He attended the public 
schools and was graduated from the Illinois Wesleyan 
University in the class of 1881. While attending this in- 
stitution he was a teacher in the public schools and upon 
his graduation became superintendent of schools in Lex- 
ington, in an adjoining county. 

Subsequently he took up the study of law and was 
admitted to the bar of Illinois in 1884. He formed a part- 
nership with a classmate of his, Mr. Sain Welty, which 

[11] 



Memorial Addresses : Representative Sterling 

continued until his partner was elected judge of the cir- 
cuit court. Later he organized a firm which was consid- 
ered one of the ablest in central Illinois, and was in active 
practice until his death. In 1892 he was elected State 
attorney for McLean County and held that position for 
four years. In 1902 he was elected to the Fifty-eighth 
Congress and was a Member of all the succeeding Con- 
gresses, including the present, with the exception of the 
Sixty-third Congress. During his first term he was a 
member of the Committees on Territories and Elections. 
In his second term he was assigned to the Committee on 
the Judiciarj'. In the Sixty-fourth Congress he became a 
member of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Com- 
merce and in the Sixty-fifth Congress a member of the 
Committee on Ways and Means. He therefore had as- 
signments upon three of the most important, if not the 
most important, committees of the House of Representa- 
tives, and in all those positions he won the confidence of 
the House and found the opportunity for demonstrating 
his ability and statesmanship. 

He was recognized as one of the leading lawj'ers of the 
State. Judge Welt}', his former law partner, has said : 

I knew him as no other lawyer in the city (Bloomington) knew 
him, and I can say that my opinion of his legal ability was always 
one of admiration. Perhaps there has been no other lawyer in 
our generation at this bar who undertook his cases with more 
painstaking care and thoroughness. No case was a trivial one for 
him. He prepared himself on the law and the facts with an ear- 
nestness and sincerity which spared no efforts. As a trial lawyer 
he had few peers. He impressed the jury with his evident seri- 
ousness and belief in the justice of his cause. The Bloomington 
bar will have reason long to remember John A. Sterling as one of 
its greatest lights. 

I think I can justly say that Congressman Sterling was 
recognized by this body as one of its ablest lawyers, and 
he demonstrated it on more than one occasion in the con- 



[12] 



Address of Mr. Foss, of Illinois 



sideration of legal questions. I can recall a number of 
instances, but one in particular during the impeachment 
of a Federal judge before the Senate some years ago, when 
it was remarked by many Senators that his presentation 
of the case was one of the strongest ever made before 
that body. 

As a man he won the respect of all who came in associa- 
tion with him. He was of modest demeanor, gentle in his 
manner, considerate of the feelings of others, and un- 
selfish to a marked degree. His was a kindly nature 
which radiated and permeated those around him. He 
was a man who did not seek the limelight, nor was he 
always forcing himself to the front, but one whose ability 
commanded attention and was so evident that many 
eagerly sought his advice and gave due recognition to 
his worth. 

He was a man who did not give his confidence to every- 
one, but only upon long acquaintance and close associa- 
tion. He was slow in forming his opinions, and after 
study and consideration came to a conclusion which was 
marked by deep thought, keen perception, and steadfast- 
ness of purpose; and when he arrived at that conclusion 
he was unshaken, but with great sincerity, born of convic- 
tion, he impressed it upon the minds of those around him. 
Having once taken his position on any question he was 
firm as a rock to the cause which he advocated, and noth- 
ing could move him from his position. He was naturally 
conservative in thought and action. He was no dema- 
gogue, nor did he appeal to the galleries, nor was he striv- 
ing for headlines in the public press. He had contempt 
for the superficial and sensational which seeks publicity 
simply for the sake of it and gives the impression to the 
people of a character which does not exist. Reputation 
and character are two different things — reputation is what 
the world thinks of you and character is what you really 



[13] 



Memorial Addresses : Representative Sterling 

are. John Sterling never sought reputation, but he estab- 
lished a character of such breadth and power as will be 
known and revered for years to come. 

His distinguishing characteristic might be said to be 
that of intense sincerity — sincerity in thought, in action, 
and in purpose. There was nothing of duplicity in him. 
He was never found sitting on the fence — he was either on 
one side or the other. He never tried to ride two horses. 
He never gave his support to a man or a cause but what 
he was true to the end. He was at all times what his 
name expressed — sterling — and on this account gripped 
his friends with bands of steel. He was one of the man- 
liest, truest, gentlest, noblest men I ever knew. 

Every position that he held in life he filled with abilitj*, 
courage, and honor, and there is no ofllce in the gift of 
the American people to which he might have been called 
if he had lived which he could not have filled with signal 
distinction. He would have made an able governor, a 
distinguished Senator, a splendid Speaker of this House, 
and the great interests of our Nation could have been 
safely intrusted in his hands as its President. 

We mourn him to-day as our colleague and associate, 
one of the ablest Representatives that Illinois ever sent to 
this body, a great lawyer, a wise counselor, a true patriot 
and statesman, and we extend our heartfelt sympathy to 
those who knew him better than we, in the holiest of all 
circles, around the fireside and in the home. 



[14] 



Address of Mr. Fordney, of Michigan 

Mr. Speaker: The State of Illinois has long recognized 
the fact that in honoring its faithful Representatives by 
giving them length of service it promotes its own well- 
being. There are present here to-day conspicuous exam- 
ples of this, on both sides of the House. First of all on 
the roll of long service comes Joseph Gurney Cannon, 
Nestor of legislators, with an unrivaled record, having to 
his credit the greatest length of service of any man who 
ever sat in either House, and probably the most experi- 
enced legislator in the whole world; who practiced law 
when Lincoln was district attorney of Sangamon County, 
111., who heard the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858, and 
who began his national career in 1860 as a delegate to 
the convention at Chicago that nominated Lincoln for the 
Presidency. 

Next in length of service from Illinois in this House 
comes James R. Mann, with eleven continuous terms to 
his credit; then George E. Foss, also with eleven terms; 
then Henry T. Rainey, with eight terms, and William A. 
Rodenberg, with a like number; Martin B. Madden, 
Charles E. Fuller, and William W. Wilson, with seven 
terms each. And our dead brother John A. Sterling, 
whose memory we honor to-day, was also seven times 
elected a Member of the House. If he had served here 
only a term or two neither we nor the countrj' would have 
known how great a man he was, for his qualities were of 
the kind that time alone can exhibit in their full degree. 
He came here with the learning of the schoolmaster and 
the experience of the State's attorney; but he was a quiet 
man, and in his first session here did not take any part in 
the debates on the floor of the House; and as no commit- 



[15] 



Memorial Addresses: Representati\-e Sterling 

tees were appointed in that session except the two or three 
that had to do with the special business for which the 
session was called we did not have the usual chance to 
measure him across the committee table. In the second 
session he was appointed a member of the Committee on 
Elections No. 3 and the Committee on the Territories; 
and the first public word he said was in a contested elec- 
tion case. The first sentence he ever spoke on this floor 
was eminently characteristic of the man. He said: 

Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that this discussion ought io be 
confined to the questions that are made in this record. The re- 
marks made by the gentleman from Iowa have not been based to 
any extent upon the record that was before this committee and is 
now before this House. I can not understand what the platform 
which the gentleman read has to do with the question that this 
House has to decide. 

That remark was tj'pical of the processes of Mr. Ster- 
ling's mind. He could not understand why anyone should 
ever seek to becloud a question or sidestep a dutJ^ When 
he had studied a question and had made up his mind what 
ought to be done, there was for him only one thing to do, 
and that was to go where his judgment and conscience led, 
and go by the shortest possible route. He was a man of 
strong friendships, but he never let a personal friendsliip 
interfere with his judgment in the discharge of his duty or 
with the process by wliich he made up liis mind that one 
side of a question was right and the other side was wrong. 
Over and over again, in his speeches in this House, he 
urged Members not to be swayed by sympathy or preju- 
dice, or by the consideration of outside matters. To him 
everj' question was a simple one, because he first stripped 
it of all the husks, he cracked the shell, and when he had 
finished his statement of a question there was nothing left 
except the one plain thing to be decided. He did not speak 
often, but when he did he threw a searchlight on the 
subject. 

[16] 



Address of Mk. Fordney, of Michigan 

This being the quality of the man, it was inevitable that 
he should grow in the esteem of his fellow Members; 
and the longer he was here the more important were the 
duties placed on his shoulders. His services on the Elec- 
tions Committee proved him to be a strong lawyer; and 
naturally enough he had not l^een here long before he 
was chosen a member of the Committee on the Judiciary, 
in which capacity he did some of his best work. Then 
he was selected to serve on the Committee on Interstate 
and Foreign Commerce, taking an active part in the enor- 
mous tasks that have confronted that committee; and 
finally he became a member of the great Committee on 
Ways and Means. No committee of Congress has ever 
had before it such important matters as have come before 
this committee in recent years. And in this work Mr. 
Sterling took an increasingly conspicuous part. He was 
a strong believer in the doctrine of the protection of the 
industries of this country from the attacks of competitors 
who by cheap labor would destroy the comfort of the 
American workman's home; and in his speeches and in 
the committee he never let anyone have a moment's doubt 
as to where he stood on that subject. He was for his 
countrj' always. Such men make a nation invincible. 
He was strong, he thought in a straight line, he was loyal 
to his friends and to his duty. He hated claptrap of every 
kind, and he left this House and this country better for 
having served here with us. 

The treasure of a husband's or a wife's afTection, like 
the grace of God, is given — not bought. Gold is power- 
ful. It can sweep down forests, raise cities, build great 
structures, and decorate and beautify homes. It can col- 
lect armies, and inspire awe and fear, but wealth can not 
purchase love. 

If anyone has failed to estimate the affection of a true- 
hearted husband or a wife they will be likely to discover 



115659°— 19- 



[17] 



Memorial Addresses : Representati\-e Sterling 

the value in the loss — when that heart that loved them is 
stilled by death. 

Death comes to us all — no sex is spared, no age exempt, 
the black and the wliite, the rich and the poor, the weak 
and the strong — all must die. 

No matter what may be our station in this life, we must 
die, and when death comes to us all men are equal. As in 
the chess play, so long as the game is playing, all the men 
stand in their rank or order, and are respected according 
to their jilaces — first the king, then the queen, then the 
bishops, then the knights, and last of all the common 
soldiers. But when once the game is ended they are all 
tumbled into a bag, and often the king is lowest 
and the common soldier uppermost. So it is with 
us in this life. The world is a huge theater or stage 
wherein some play the part of a king, some a bishop, 
another that of an humble citizen, but death sends them 
all alike to the grave. Death comes equally to us all, and 
makes us all equal when it comes. Such is life. 

John A. Sterling was of sterling character, a fond and 
loving father and husband, a valuable addition to any 
community. He lived a good life, fought the battle honor- 
ably and nobly. He left behind him a lo\ing wife and 
affectionate children and an army of friends. Let us ever 
pray that his soul may rest in peace. 



[18] 



Address of Mr. Henry T. Rainey, of Illinois 

Mr. Speaker: We are assembled here to-day for the 
purpose of doing honor to the memory of our friend and 
colleague. It is difficult for those of us who knew John 
A. Sterling best to realize that he has left the places 
which knew him here and has sailed away over the mystic 
sea to an unknown shore. May we not hope that he has 
gone to meet those of his friends who have made the 
journey ahead of him. He was a strong, forceful, manly 
man of action, discharging in all the emergencies of tliis 
life his full duty. He served upon the great conmiittees 
of this House during his nearly 14 years of service here. 
It is diflicult to realize that this historic Chamber, which 
has echoed so often to his forceful oratory, will know him 
no more. I was particularly associated with him during 
the entire period of his service here, although we sat on 
opposite sides of this aisle. We were affiliated always 
with parties which stood upon different political plat- 
forms, but I have never known partisanship to interfere 
in any way with his ideals of duty. 

His counsel was sought always by the leaders of the 
Nation. During his public career it can be said of him 
that he walked with the great of his country, but he never 
for one moment forgot the common touch. His sym- 
pathies were of that broad and generous character which 
kept him during his career closely in touch with the peo- 
ple of the State he represented here and the great com- 
mon people of this Nation. During the latter part of his 
service here he served on the great Ways and Means 
Committee of the House, and during the long hours of 
every workday on that committee, while engaged in the 
preparation of the greatest revenue bills ever submitted 

[19] 



Memorial AoDiuissES: Representative Sterling 

to any Congress, he sat at the table performing his full 
share of the labor honestly and conscientiously, at all 
times living up to his high ideals. His life was never a 
life of mere ease or pleasure, but always a life of hard 
work, the hardest kind of work, and the victory he sought 
was the reward which comes after the most exacting 
mental labor. 

In the prime of life, when for him the sun was still high 
in the heavens, with his mental and his physical powers 
unimpaired, he passed suddenly away from tliis earth 
through the shadows to the sunshine of the life which 
awaited him beyond the grave. He will be missed in the 
community where he lived. He will be missed as few 
men are missed in the great State he served here so long, 
so faithfully, and so well, and he will be missed by those 
of us who were associated with him in his work here dur- 
ing all the remaining years which are ours upon tliis earth. 
A manly man has gone. 

The manly man is the country's need, and the moment's need, 

forsooth, 
With a heart that heats to the pulsing tread of tlie allied leagues 

of truth; 
The world is his, and it waits for liim, and it leaps to hear the 

ring 
Of the blows he strikes and the wheels he turns and the hammer 

he dares to swing; 
It likes the forward look in his face, the poise of liis noble head, 
And the onward lunge of his tireless will and the sweep of his 

dauntless tread. 



[20] 



Address of Mr. Mason, of Illinois 

Mr. Speaker: At this moment I hardly feel I can do the 
subject justice. There was about John Sterling some- 
thing that once having learned we could never forget. My 
colleague [Mr. Foss], I think, suggested how appropriate 
was his name, for if in my long career I have met one 
man who was truly sterling in all of the things that make 
for character it was our colleague John Sterling, in 
whose honor we are here to-day. He was a quiet man. 
I was told some years ago that he was a man who lacked 
a sense of humor, but after acquaintance with him 1 
found that he had that priceless jewel of a love of fun 
and humor that did not display itself as it does with most 
of us, but he loved the quaint, the curious, and the ridicu- 
lous as a part of his mental exercises, although only those 
who knew him well appreciated that particular charac- 
teristic. 

He was one of the most reliable and the most " un- 
afraid " of our associates here in Washington. We used 
to call liim the " Old Reliable " because we knew when 
we went to him for advice he would not follow the old 
suggestion that, when you are asked to give advice, al- 
ways find out what is needed and then give it to them. 

John Sterling had the courage to talk squarely with 
his friends, and he gave no advice to please those with 
whom he was advising. I have never known him in all 
of his career to vote or play the part of a coward or a 
demagogue. He had analyzed to himself, had satisfied 
his own conscience, that this was the right vote to give, 
and he gave it, being prepared to take the consequences, 
whatever they might be. 



[21] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Sterling 

He was unafraid in the trial of a case. I have heen 
told by men who tried cases with him that he learned 
the great knack of being able to " fight without quarrel- 
ing." He stood by his clients at the bar without quarrel- 
ing with the other members of the bar with whom he 
was in contest. 

He gave his votes here, and, as my colleague from Michi- 
gan [Mr. Fordney] has said, he fought for those principles 
he believed in; but in his fighting, as my distinguished col- 
league from Illinois [Mr. Henry T. Rainey] has said, he 
was big enough to fight but too big to quarrel. 

I have chosen, Mr. Speaker, to read a few words that 
were delivered by Col. Ingersoll at the grave of his 
brother: 

The loved and loving brother, husband, father, friend, died 
where manhood's morning almost touches noon and while the 
shadows still were falling toward the west. He had not passed 
on life's highway the stone that marks the highest point, but being 
wearj' for a moment he laid down by the wayside, and, using 
his burden for a pillow, fell into that dreamless sleep that kisses 
down his eyelids still. WTiile yet in love with life and raptured 
with the world, he passed to silence and pathetic dust. Yet, after 
all, it may be best, just in the happiest, sunniest hour of all the 
voyage, while eager winds are kissing every sail, to dash against 
the unseen rock, and in an instant hear the billows roar a sunken 
ship. For, whether in mid-sea or among the breakers of the 
farther shore, a wreck must mark at last the end of each and 
all. And every life, no matter if its every hour is rich with love 
and every moment jeweled with a joy, will, at its close, become 
a tragedy as sad and deep and dark as can be woven of warp 
and woof of mystery and death. 

This brave and tender man in every storm of life was oak and 
rock, but in the sunshine he was vine and flower. He was the 
friend of all heroic souls. He climbed the heights and left all 
superstitions far below, while on his forehead fell the golden 
dawning of a grander day. He loved the beautiful, and was with 
color, form, and music touched to tears. He sided with the weak, 
and with a willing hand gave alms; with loyal heart and with 
the purest hand he faithfully discharged all public trusts. He 

[22] 



Address of Mr. Mason, of Illinois 



was a worshiper of liberty and a friend of the oppressed. A 
thousand times I have heard him quote the words, " For justice 
all place a temple and all season summer." He believed that 
happiness was the only good, reason the only touch, justice the 
only worshiper, humanity the only religion, and love the priest. 

Of course, Mr. Speaker, we do not agree with Col. Inger- 
soll that " Life is a barren vale between the cold and bar- 
ren peaks of two eternities." Of course, everj- man who 
has had one friend, who has had one woman to love him, 
and children to caress him, does not agree with Col. In- 
gersoll that "Life is a barren plane," but a plane with 
barren spots; but the oasis comes whenever we meet a 
friend and find an opportunity to be of use and service. 

We strive in vain — 

Says Col. Ingersoll — 

to look beyond the heights. We cry aloud, and the only answer 
is the echo of our wailing cry. From the voiceless lips of the 
unreplying dead there comes no word; but in the night of death 
hope sees a star and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing. 

We can say of John Sterling that there was no gentler, 
stronger, manlier man. 

Mr. Speaker, I know at times, and sometimes on occa- 
sions of this kind, we dwell upon the things hoped for. 
Putting aside all other questions and using only that 
means that logic gives to us, is not the hope of the immor- 
tal life a reasonable hope? Nothing can be destroyed in 
the workshop of God. Though we burn the book, it is not 
destroyed. Everj'thing that went to make this book is still 
in existence. The form of John Sterling, silent, cold, re- 
turns to dust, yet everything that went to make his phys- 
ical body is still in the workshop of God Almighty, for 
He is jealous of those things that come from His hand. 
And if it is true, and we know it is true, that no thing that 
we can understand with the human mind can be destroyed, 
can it be possible that unselfish love — can it be possible 

[23] 



Memorial Addresses : Represextativ'e Sterling 

that character, industry, love of service, patriotism, all 
of those things that went to make a manly man like John 
Sterling, are to be lost and blown out like the candle, 
while the meaner things, the dust and the ashes, are 
saved? 

Oh, Mr. Speaker, the faith is a reasonable faith, and in 
contemplating that we find a poverty of words. We can 
only know when we reach the rapt and hopeful thought 
that unselfish love can not die, that words can not picture 
what our faith calls for, and, finding the poverty of words, 
we say with Father Ryan : 

Far out on the sea there are billows tliat never will break on the 

beach. 
I have heard songs in the silence that never will float into speech. 
And I have dreamed dreams in the valley too lofty for language 

to reach. 



[24] 



. Address of Mr. Sherwood, of Ohio 

Mr. Speaker: The untimely death of the late Hon. John 
Sterling, of Illinois, is a distinct loss to his district, his 
State, and the Nation. He was taken off in the prime of 
his manhood and in the full ripeness of his congressional 
career. 1 was housed with him in the same hotel during 
his entire service and knew him as well as any Member 
outside his home State. As a lawyer he ranked high, and 
his industry, his ability, his integrity, and fidelity to every 
trust gave him a status the equal of any Member from 
any State in this historic Chamber. His sketch in the 
Congressional Directory is brief and unpretentious. "We 
have never had in this country too many men of heart 
and brains and morals and courage in public life, and at 
no period in our history have men of this type been more 
needed than now. No time in our history has there ever 
been a more urgent demand for just men of courage, 
patriotism, and ability on the floor of Congress. 

It was our own poet of patriotism, Fitz-Greene Halleck, 
who wrote, in Marco Bozzaris, this pathetic and heart- 
rending couplet: 

Come to the bridal chamber, Death! 

Come to the mother when she feels 
For the first time her first-born's breath I 

And thou art terrible! 

But more terrible is the loss of a fully equipped man, 
mentally and morally, because his loss is not only to the 
family, the wife, the children, but to the State. The one 
loss to the other is as the rosebud compared with the full- 
blown rose, grown fragrant and beautiful in God's sun- 
shine. And the example of a well-rounded man, of power 

[25] 



Memorial Addresses: Representati\'e Sterling 

and influence lur the goud of his fellow man, does not 
attach to the newhorn child. 

One of the greatest of Athenian philosophers said: 

Most of all, fellow citizens, if your sons ask whose example 
they shall imitate, what will you say? For you know well if is 
not the music, nor the gymnasium, nor the schools that mold 
young men. It is much more — the public proclamation, the pub- 
lic example. If you take one whose life has no high purpose and 
crown him in the theater, every boy who sees it is corrupted. 
Beware, therefore, Athenians, remembering posterity will re- 
judge your judgment and that the character of a city is deter- 
mined by the character of the men it crowns. 

Two thousand years have elapsed since this classic was 
uttered, and it is still vital and valuable. The hope and 
ambition of our young men of to-day is fostered and fed 
by the character of the men the people of this Republic 
send into our highest legislative body. Mr. Sterling's ex- 
ample is a potent teacher to the young men of his district 
and his State. Example teaches without a tongue. It is 
silent, but its action for good is more forcible than words, 
however eloquent. Mr. Sterling has left no enemV on 
either side of this House. His life, his character, his career 
will always be a grateful memory to his family, his kin- 
dred, and his colleagues. 

It is not the length of years that we live or the length of 
our service on this floor that measures our value to our 
constituents and the country. Mr. Sterling lived 61 years 
and served almost 14 years in Congress, or nine years 
longer than the average official life of a Congressman. In 
the 50 years following the great Civil War the average offi- 
cial life was less than six years. 

While Mr. Sterling had before him many more years 
of valuable service in the ordinary contingencies of human 
life, he lived long enough to make an enduring record of 
valuable service and achieve an honorable name. He has 
left to his family, his kindred, and his State a record of 

[26] 



Address of Mr. Sherwood, of Ohio 



achievements that should fill their hearts with pride and 
mellow the acute sorrow over his untimely death. And 
there is a deeper consolation, told with so much pathos 
by Longfellow : 

There is no death; what seems so is transition; 

This life of mortal breath 
Is but suburb of the life elysian, 

Whose portal we call death. 



[27] 



Address of Mr. Wheeler, of Illinois 

Mr. Speaker : When John A. Sterling passed to the 
great beyond this Nation lost a man of immeasurable 
value at a time when his services were most needed. 

He was not given to making a brilliant and startling 
display of his genius, but he was practical, level-headed, 
and wise on all questions pertaining to the Nation's wel- 
fare. 

Illinois has lost one of its most capable Representa- 
tives. So highly was he esteemed by the people of our 
State had he lived he would undoubtedly have been 
called to higher honors. 

As his friend I sustained a great personal loss. His 
quiet gentleness of manner, his unfailing courtesy, and 
his thoughtfulness remained with him to the end, and 
his last words and his last acts were for the comfort of 
his companions who were injured, for he in his last 
moments said: "Take care of the others first"; and 
while they were receiving attention his soul returned to 
his God. 

Although he has gone, his memorj' lives, an inspiration 
to all who knew and loved him. May his example in- 
spire us to emulate his kind, manlj' spirit! 



[28] 



Address of Mr. Madden, of Illinois 

Mr. Speaker: Any words that I may be able to utter 
will, of course, be inadequate to express the feeling that 
I have with respect to our deceased colleague. John 
Sterling was among America's most conspicuous men. 
His life and work were such as not only to attract men 
to him but to attract the confidence of the country in the 
man. 

His most conspicuous public service here, as I believe, 
was his pi'osecution of Judge Archbald, who was im- 
peached for misdemeanors in office. His presentation of 
that case before the Senate of the United States was said 
to be the clearest, most forceful legal argument that has 
ever been made by any lawyer in any case in America. 
His action in this case called him specially to the atten- 
tion of the Nation, and it established for John Sterling 
a national reputation as a lawj'cr which no other act 
could have brought to him. Every man in the case, those 
who were opposed to the prosecution and those who were 
for the the prosecution, admitted that John Sterling 
knew more about the law in the case and presented the 
ablest arguments in the case of any man connected with 
the case, and in my opinion, as a matter of fact, it was his 
untiring work in delving into the facts and the law which 
enabled the country to rid itself of Judge Archbald. 

John Sterling served his countrj^ in what I believe to 
be the most momentous period of its history. He was 
here when the great war began in Europe. He was here 
during all the period of the formation of public opinion 
in America in connection with that war. He was here at 
the time when men's souls were tried, when their patriot- 
ism was tested, when men were proved either to be 



[29] 



Memorial Addresses: Representati\t. Sterling 

American or otherwise by their actions. There never was 
any doubt about John Sterling's Americanism or pa- 
triotism. He was an American through and through. He 
believed in preserving everj' right of his country, in the 
preservation of the national honor, in the perpetuity of the 
Nation's institutions, and he not only stood for a declara- 
tion of war against Germany, but when war was declared 
he gave his son in defense of the flag. He was not only 
a patriot himself, and proved that by his own actions, but 
he was proud that he had a son that could be given to 
defend the institutions of his countrj'. 

He was a courageous man. He was modest. He was 
unassuming. But he never lacked the courage of his con- 
victions. I recall on one occasion here, when the Clayton 
antitrust law was under consideration, he as a member of 
the Committee on the Judiciarj' stood boldly for American 
rights, for one citizenship, for one flag, for one code of 
laws, for the principle that everj' man should stand equal 
before the law. He displayed a courage during the con- 
sideration of that bill that few men on this floor displayed. 
He not only displayed courage, but he displayed knowl- 
edge of the pending legislation which no other man on the 
floor possessed. 

John Sterling was quiet and unassuming, but his 
friendship was something to be sought. Once attained, 
you might be certain, if you justified it, to continue to re- 
tain it. He lived a life of great usefulness. His life can 
well be emulated by the children of the generations yet to 
come. The things that John Sterling did during life will 
continue to live, now that he is gone. Men like John Ster- 
ling do not die. Their work continues to keep them be- 
fore the minds of the youth that follow. Though we all 
regret to miss him in our daily life, yet we are proud that 
the Nation gave John Sterling to his country, and that 
during his public service he gave to the country the best 
there was in him. 

[30] 



Address of Mr. Madden, of Illinois 



His family, of course, will miss daily contact with liim. 
They will mourn his death. But they will have the con- 
sciousness that some day they, too, will pass beyond and 
meet him under better circumstances; for we who believe 
in a future must continue to hope that the end of life here 
is not the end of our association with those we love. And 
while we may mourn and sympathize with the family of 
John Sterling, yet, after all, death is just as natural as 
life; and wliile we rejoice at life and birth, and mourn at 
death, there is no reason why mourning should exist on 
account of our passing away. For one I simply wish to ex- 
press my pride and my joy that John Sterling's life was 
one in the whole, I niaj' say, given to the Nation while he 
lived, and what he did and what he said will continue to 
live; and I am happy in the thought that we who associ- 
ated with liim during life may hope to associate with him 
again when we reach the other side. 



[31] 



Address of Mr. Graham, of Illinois 

Mr. Speaker: I did not know Hon. John A. Sterling 
personally until I came here as a Member of the present 
Congress, although I knew of him by reputation in my 
State. In Illinois there were but few who had any knowl- 
edge of public affairs who did not know of his public life 
and works and who did not highly regard liim. While I, 
by the short period of my sei'vice here, was not able to 
judge of the worth of John A. Sterling as others who 
speak here, men who have served with him for years, yet 
I did form a lasting impression of him from observing 
him and his work as a Representative. 1 presume the 
new Member, who sits through the sessions with but few 
other duties to perform except to observe the proceed- 
ings, forms a more vivid impression of the men who 
cari-y on the important work of the House than do those 
who have been for years associated with these men. I 
observed early that when John A. Sterling spoke on any 
subject he had an attentive and thoughtful audience. I 
observed that those who spoke of him spoke of Mm as a 
sincere man and a plain, logical, and exact thinker. 

He was extremely considerate of the opinions of others 
and was willing to listen at all times to the suggestions of 
any Member, whether he was of years of experience or of 
few days in the public service. So far as I could observe, 
there was no division of sentiment among the Members 
of his own delegation as to his superlative ability as a 
legislator and a man, and I have no doubt this was the 
common feeling of the Members of the House, irrespective 
of party. 

I was not in tlie country when John A. Sterling died. 
I did not know of the fact until I returned to tliis country. 
Immediately upon my return I saw an American paper 
and in this paper observed a mention of the late Repre- 
sentative John A. Sterling, from Illinois. I can not 



[32] 



Address of Mr. Graham, of Illinois 

express to you the distinct sliock this was to me. I had 
come to regard my colleague, Mr. Sterling, as an institu- 
tion, almost, and to find that he, with his wonderful mind, 
was gone, was almost inconceivable. In this time of great 
questions and when world problems are being solved we 
need men like John A. Sterling, men of logical minds, 
minds that drive through the fog and straight to their ob- 
jects, minds that disregard the chaff and seek only the 
wheat that is the harvest. 

There is to-day so much of uncertainty, so much to 
perplex those who must legislate for the countrj', and 
there are so few minds that process regularly in timfcs of 
mightj' stress and emotion, that to lose one of these minds 
is a distinct and positive loss to mankind. Such a mind, 
and such a personality, my colleagues, we have lost. 

There is not much of intimate knowledge that I can say 
of our departed colleague, for I was not his intimate 
friend. But I do want to pay my humble tribute, now and 
here, to the mcmorj' of this man from my State. We have 
had few of his kind. In his life he honored his own State 
of Illinois, dignified the House of Representatives in which 
he served, and was a credit to the country which he loved 
so well. 

But the good things John A. Sterling did will not die. 
May we not rather agree with the poet: 

I shot an arrow into the air, 
It fell to earth, I knew not where; 
For, so swiftly It flew, the sight 
Could not follow it in its flight. 

I breathed a song into the air. 
It fell to earth, I knew not where; 
For who has sight so keen and strong. 
That it can follow the flight of song? 

Long, long afterward, in an oak, 
I found the arrow, still unbroke; 
And the song, from beginning to end, 
I found again in the heart of a friend. 
115659°— 19 3 [33] 



Address of Mr. Parker, of New Jersey 

Mr. Speaker: No one could know John A. Sterling 
without feeling that his growth here was remarkable for 
its strength, its siniplicitj, and its rounded character. 
Some men who come here are not so strong afterwards 
as when they first came, but any man who works hard 
must grow. The danger is that he may grow in one di- 
rection, to be a politician, to excel in the tricks of the 
trade, or in mere tricks of oratorjs and to put success 
above the principles upon which it should be founded. It 
is hard here in all the changes and chances of politics to 
remain absolutely simple, absolutely true, and strong 
enough to be willing when the occasion comes to speak 
your mind as you think you ought to speak it. But such 
a man was John A. Sterling- He grew like an oak in all 
directions, the roots reacliing out constantly into more 
knowledge and the branches sturdily meeting and breast- 
ing any wind or any storm. He grew because as a lawyer 
and statesman his opinions and actions were founded on 
a wonderful common sense, upon a wonderful knowledge 
of the common law, and upon a most uncommon honesty 
and absolute courage. 

I knew him best in the Sixty-first Congress. We had 
served together on the Committee on the Judiciarj-, but 
in that particular Congress I had the privilege of putting 
him at the head of a subcommittee that was practically 
a committee. We then for the first time divided the 
work of the Committee on the Judiciary between three 
great subcommittees so that one took bills relating to law, 
another took bills relating to practice, while all the diffi- 
cult bills as to organization of the courts, when there shall 
be new judges, what shape the courts shall take in each 
particular district and their constitutions, were referred 
to one of these great subcommittees of seven members 

[34] 



Address of Mr. Parker, of New Jersey 

which was presided over by John A. Sterling. All these 
matters were in his hands, and I feel it my duty to speak 
for the courage, the sense of justice, and the considerate- 
ness with which these difTicult questions were arranged 
and settled by him during those two years. 

I have but one other matter to call to the remembrance 
of the House. It was only recently that the Committee on 
Ways and Means reported and passed a great bill for 
raising revenue. It took new lines. It went upon the 
lines of taking wealth wherever you could find it. We all 
voted for it, because we are meeting the greatest emer- 
gency that this country has ever met in all the centuries, 
but John A. Sterling, in his quiet, considerate, and there- 
fore absolutely inoffensive way, while supporting that 
bill, had the courage upon this floor to say he would have 
preferred a bill which would have been more even and 
just to all. His proposition was that a single per cent of 
tax placed upon every sale that was made in this country 
would have brought in some three billions of dollars. I 
do not mention this as a matter of discussion. I do men- 
tion it as showing the absolute independence, the cour- 
age and justice of the man. He sought always what was 
right. He was not afraid to say what he thought, no mat- 
ter how much that might be misrepresented. 

We have lost a friend. A tree can not be torn up that 
has put out its roots in every direction, that has thrown 
out its branches under the shade of which we have sat — 
a tree that has intertwined itself with our lives — that sort 
of a man can not be lost without a wrench that is hard 
and makes it seem almost unfair and wrong to analyze 
the character, but in this case no analysis can do harm, 
for there is not one of us who could put his finger upon 
anything that was petty or mean in his character. 

At this point Mr. Walsh assumed the chair as Speaker 
pro tempore. 

[35] 



Address of Mr. Cannon, of Illinois 

Mr. Speaker : Two men have crossed over in the last few 
months who were truly great men — one from Illinois, 
John A. Sterling, the other from New Hampshire, Senator 
Jacob H. Gallinger; one a la^\yer, the other a phj'sician by 
profession; both of them school-teachers in early life; one 
well grounded in the legal profession, the other well 
gi'ounded in the medical profession, who later on in life 
were selected on account of their ability and high charac- 
ter for services in the Congress. Senator Gallinger served 
in the House two terms, and then he served, I believe, con- 
tinuously in the Senate of the United States until his death. 
Each one served his constituency well. They could not 
have served their respective constituencies well without 
serving all the people of the United States well. A Senator 
represents one State and a Representative serves one dis- 
trict, but when we come down to it, whether it be in the 
Senate or in the House, whether a man comes from far- 
away California, or way down East in Maine, or in New 
Hampshire, or from the central portion of the country, he 
votes for legislation that spreads over the whole country, 
and we are just as much interested from a practical stand- 
point in everj' one of the 435 districts, each of which sends 
a Representative to the House, or to any of the 96 Senators, 
as we are in those whom we select from our respective 
States and districts. I believe that through all these years 
that I have served in the House that on the average in the 
House and in the Senate the people who were chosen have 
represented the public sentiment of the respective States 
and districts first, and second, and on all fours with the 
public sentiment, have represented the whole people. 



[36] 



Address of Mr. Cannon, of Illinois 



And, everything considered, I believe the average repre- 
sentation in both House and Senate measures the aver- 
age sentiment and intelligence of those who send them 
here. Sometimes there is complaint that there are too 
many la\\'j'ers in Congress. Well, there are a good many 
la\\yers in Congress, but they are selected not because they 
are lawyers but because they have to do with voting for 
legislation. Some people say there are too many business 
men in Congress; that there are too many farmers, and 
so on. Now, the whole object of our Government is to 
enable us to live under laws which under our fixed law, 
the Constitution, will protect the weak and the strong. 
God forbid that it should ever be to the contrary. And it 
never will be to the contrary while our form of govern- 
ment lasts. 

There are certain great characters in war and in 
peace — Presidents, Members of Congress, and the coordi- 
nate branch of the Government, the judiciary, that stand 
out in history and will continue to stand out in history. 
But, after all, it is the one hundred millions of people, 
plus now, that select the men who are to legislate and who 
are to fill the Executive chair and, in the end, under the 
Constitution, hold the judiciary positions. And those 
places will not be more worthily filled than by the ma- 
jority sentiment, the common sentiment, of the people 
who give men their commission. George Washington, 
the Father of his Country; Alexander Hamilton; Thomas 
Jefferson; Patrick Henry; the Adamses, all dwell in his- 
tory, but we would not have gotten far if it had not been 
for the Continental Army. We would not have had a 
Constitution if it had not been for the wise men who 
framed it and the people who ratified it. After all is said 
and done, men whose names are forgotten, great masses 
of men, the average population of the country, selected 
those great characters who performed the function that 



[37] 



Memorial Addresses: Representatim; Sterling 

was cast upon them, and they did it well. I fancy if you 
would call the roll of the membership of the House of 
Representatives you would find that nine-tenths of them, 
under the hand of necessity early in life, learned to make 
their way by labor, physical and mental. I know the Illi- 
nois delegation pretty well. They are descendants, in the 
main, of pioneers — a great folk. From one ocean to the 
other we are still pioneering; we are crossing the conti- 
nent; we are settling up the area of the United States in 
order that we can continue to take care of the great in- 
crease in population for a thousand years and live, if we 
are forced to do so, within ourselves. We have not been 
forced to do so, but we could. 

Now, these two men, John Sterling, school-teacher, 
lawyer, and legislator, on the one hand, and Senator Gal- 
linger, having pretty much the same kind of training that 
Sterling had, were both strong factors. While Senator 
Gallinger was not a lawyer, practically he was quite six 
while other men were half a dozen in framing legisla- 
tion. They did not lack industry. The two men in many 
respects were alike. They or any of us, substantially, 
will not live as Webster will live in history or as Jefferson 
will live in historj% but Webster and Jefferson and all of 
those people could not have succeeded so well if it had 
not been for their forbears that stood for them and by 
them. And so in speaking of the whole people we must 
consider them as being competent for self-government. 
There never was a man bright enough and strong enough 
to develop another's legs by walking for him, and there 
never will be. A child when he learns to walk can be 
instructed and aided, but he must do his own walking 
and his own growing. 

,IoHN Sterling was my personal and political friend and 
I was his. I recollect the night before the election in the 
campaign of two years ago, when I closed it at Blooming- 



[38] 



Address of Mr. Cannon, of Illinois 



ton, in his district, at which there was a wonderful demon- 
stration. That was the night before the election. They 
had been talking that there was a hot contest that prom- 
ised to defeat Mi-. Sterling. But he came out of it with a 
greatly increased majority not by virtue of what I said 
but by virtue of his ability, character, and service. 

We only know about to-day. What of the future? I 
believe there is a future. I believe that each man, each 
human entity, finds its place amongst those like unto it. 
That is my faith. I am not a believer in people being cast 
in a fiery furnace that is a thousand times hotter than the 
one in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were 
cast and being burned forever and ever. No; no. We all 
hope, and that is the strong evidence, for life hereafter. 

Some time ago I had the pleasure of dining, on the invi- 
tation of Representative Porter, of Pittsburgh, with a 
great manufacturer and a great business man. There 
were present, if I recollect, 18 or 20 guests at his house 
here in Washington. The guest of honor was Mr. 
Brashears. That gentleman is the great lens maker of the 
world. He commenced life as a peddler, but in off hours 
he turned his attention to the stars. He married, but there 
were no children. As he studied the stars and began to 
make lenses his wife was his assistant. He made great 
progress in his art. He made the great lens for the Lick 
Observatory, and other great lenses have been made in 
his laboratory. We made him do most of the talking by 
asking him questions, first by one and then another. 

1 asked him, " How far can you see into space with the 
strongest lens that you have produced?" He said the 
strongest lens ever produced in the world was produced 
at Pittsburgh in his laboratory. I said, " How far does 
that lens reach into space? " "Ah," said he, " I am some- 
thing of a mathematician; we know the velocity of light; 
that lens can reach so far that if a sun in space were to 
be extinguished this minute the light that started from 

[39] 



Memorial Audhesses: REPHESENTATmj Sterling 

that sun would not reach the earth for fifteen hundred 
years. Space is but anotlicr word for sonictliing without 
boundary." 

Then somebody asked him, "When was it that your 
wife died?" He answered, "Two years ago." Then 
somebody asked, "Where is she buried?" His answer 
was, " Beneath the laboratory'. And there I shall be 
buried, and on my wife's memorial " — in substance I give 
the words: "We have searched the stars together, 
worked together, made lenses together; we have become 
familiar with space, so far as human eye by human in- 
vention and aid will allow; and that Power which made 
the universe and placed law upon it will care for us after 
this life." 

So I have faith to believe that that Power will care for 
Senator Gallingcr, will care for John A. Sterling, will 
care for the loved ones that have crossed over. I do not 
know; perhaps I am not orthodox. We can not shape our 
future lives except as we come under general law, and 
the great First Cause that called matter into being was 
not only wise but omnipotent, which means just and 
merciful. It is a favorite thought with me with respect 
to my loved ones, when I lliink about them, who have 
been crossing over, it seems to me, even,' few years since 
I can remember, that I shall meet them there. Such is the 
universal desire. While the legislative record of our de- 
ceased colleague here, Mr. Sterling, and of the honored 
and able Senator Gallinger is lodged in the ofiicial archives 
of the House and Senate, while we sympathize with the 
friends that survive, yet if we are welded by work, by 
wisdom, by fidelity, crossed on courage, I shall hope and 
be content if we can reach men in the great eternity like 
unto Senator Gallingcr and .Tohn A. Sterling. 



[40] 



Proceedings in the House 



Mr. Foss. Mr. Speaker, there are some Members who 
are unavoidably absent and some present who have been 
unable to prepare tributes to the memory of Mr. Sterling. 
Therefore, on behalf of them, I ask unanimous consent 
that permission may be granted to them to extend their 
remarks in the Record. 

The Speaker pro tempore. Without objection, it will be 
so ordered. 

There was no objection. 

Adjournment 

Therefore, in accordance with the resolution heretofore 
adopted, the House (at 4 o'clock and 30 minutes p. m.) 
adjourned until Monday, January 20, 1919, at 12 o'clock 
noon. 



[41] 



Proceedings in the Senate 

Monday, October 21, 1918. 

A message from the House of Representatives, by D. K. 
Hempstead, its enrolling clerk, communicated to the 
Senate the intelligence of the death of Hon. John A. Ster- 
ling, late a Representative from the State of Illinois, and 
transmitted resolutions of the House thereon. 

Mr. Lodge. I ask that the resolutions of the House be 
laid before the Senate. 

The Presiding Officer. The Chair lays before the Senate 
resolutions from the House, wliich will be read. 

The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: 

In the House of Representatives, 

October 17, 1918. 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
the death of Hon. John A. Sterling, a Representative from the 
State of Illinois. 

Resolved, That a committee of 20 Members of the House, with 
such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to 
attend the funeral. 

Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized 
and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying 
out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary 
expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent 
fund of the House. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. 

Mr. Lodge. Mr. President, I send to the desk the follow- 
ing resolutions and ask for their adoption. 

The resolutions (S. Res. 322) were read, considered by 
unanimous consent, and unanimously agreed to, as fol- 
lows: 

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the 
announcement of the death of Hon. John A. Sterling, late a 
Representative from the State of Illinois. 

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Memorial Addresses: Representative Sterling 

Resolved, That a committee of six Senators be appointed by 
the Presiding Ofilcer to join the committee appointed on the part 
of the House of Representatives to attend the funeral of the 
deceased. 

Resolved, That tlic Secretary communicate a copy of these 
resolutions to the House of Representatives. 

Under the second resolution the Presiding Officer ap- 
pointed as the committee on the part of the Senate Mr. 
Sherman, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, Mr. 
Fernald, Mr. Watson, and Mr. Vardaman. 

Mr. Lodge. Mr. President, as a further mark of respect 
to the memory of the deceased I move that the Senate 
adjourn. 

The motion was agreed to; and (at 2 o'clock and 5 
minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until Thursday, 
October 24, 1918, at 12 o'clock meridian. 

Monday, January 20, 1919. 
A message from the House of Representatives, by D. K. 
Hempstead, its enrolling clerk, transmitted to the Senate 
resolutions of the House on the life, character, and public 
services of Hon. John. A. Sterling, late a Representative 
from the State of Illinois. 



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